In the 1930s, Woody Guthrie liked to write “This machine kills fascists” on his guitar. It was a period when folk musicians stood with the people against corporate greed. This is one of the reasons that folk musicians were attacked and blacklisted during the McCarthy era.
But they rose again as the reporters that offered the soundtrack for the civil rights movement in the mid to late 50s. Phil Ochs told us more about what was going on in Mississippi than scholars and intellectuals.
Today, if you want to know what’s going on in the world, you want an accurate report on where injustice is being done and people are being oppressed, the best single source of news is David Rovics. I consider him one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time. In the same way many people watch The Daily Show over the corporate for-profit news shows, Rovics albums give us a far more insightful view on what’s really going on in the world today.
Not only that, if you want a truly factual rendition of U.S. history, Rovics is also your source. His ballad regarding Hugh Thompson is my personal favorite. Hugh is an often overlooked but genuine American hero. Many have heard of Lt. Calley and the My Li massacre, but its Rovics who celebrates Thompson, who stood Calley and his men down and stopped the war crimes in Vietnam.
I can’t wait to hear Rovics’ new songs. Their titles themselves speak volumes about what we can expect at his concert in Columbus. We look forward to hearing: Halliburton Boardroom Massacre, Paul Wolfowitz, New Orleans, How far is it from here to Nuremberg, Tsunami, and When Johnny Comes Marching Home.
Join us for a Dave Rovics experience:
Tuesday, October 12, 5-8pm
Carabar, 115 Parsons
253-2571
truth@freepress.org
No cover, but donations requested.
Also, Carabar offers Dollar Tacos on Tuesday nights!